Frederick e



(No Model.)

I. E. KIP.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 328,950. Patented Oct. 27,, 1885.

" WITNESSES dubs-6M QW-Q W By Attorney UNTTEE STATEs PATENT @EETEE.

FREDERICK E. KIP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,950, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed January 7, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Fannnnrcn E. Km, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailwaySignals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a means for exhibiting signals both day and night at railroadcrossings, for the purpose of notifying persons that a train is about to pass the crossing, and also notifying them that the train has passed.

At the present time, when a train is approaching a railway-crossing, a man is employed to wave a flag to notify individuals of the approaching train, and at night no signal whatever is used.

The object of my invention is to provide for the placing of two signals at each crossing without the necessity for the actual presence of an operator at such points, and thereby save the expense of such operator.

The invention consists in a novel construction of an apparatus to be operated by a passing train for exhibiting adanger-signal in the day or night before the arrival of the train, and for removing the same when the train has passed a crossing.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the mode of carrying out my invention.

Figure 1 represents a portion of a railwaytrack provided with an apparatus embodying my improvement-s. Figs. 2, 8, and 5 are detail views of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a modification.-

The letter A designates an upright having cross-bar B and downwardly-extending arms 0 0, provided with recesses or grooves on their inner sides to allow a sliding bar, 1), to be inserted and held therein by a plug, 0, or otherwise. From the eross-bar B, extending down to the sliding rod D, is a red, white, or blue clot-h, F, as a danger-signal to be used in the day, and extending from the sliding rod D is a metal or wooden box, E, provided with lights to show danger-signals at night, case B covering all the signals when not used.

The drawings show the danger-signals as being down in position to indicate danger.

Serial No. 152,203. (No model.)

To the arms 0 O are the spring-bolts f f, to which the chain, wire, or rope j) 1) is attached and passes over the pulleys 2 2 joining in one at w", and then passing over pulley 4 and attached to the lever G, which is caused to turn on a pivot, g, by a rod from the locomotive, to be hereinafter explained. The lever G is inclined at one end, which, a rod from the cow-catcher coming in contact with as the train advances, causes the lever G to turn on its axis, thereby pulling the wire, rope, or chain d, which pulls out the bolts ff, which allows theslide-rod D, signal F, and signal-box Eto fall down to the ends of the arms 0 Qwhere there are rubber cushions c c to prevent injury by the fall. The falling is caused partly by the weight of the box E, which is made heavy for that purpose, and partly by the action of spiral springs e e, attached to the crossbar B and to the ends of the rod 1), which, as soon as the spring-bolts f f are removed, the signals fall to notify persons that a train will soon pass that crossing. The lever Gis placed as far in advance of the signals as may be deemed necessary for a train running at the rate of thirty to sixty miles to reach crossing.

To the rod D is attached the chain, wire, or rope d d, passing over pulleys 1O 11 12, joining in one before it passes pulley 12, passes pulley 4, and is attached to the upper part of thespindleLath. Thelowerendofthespindle L is of larger dimension than the upper part. In the lower andlarger and hollow part of the spindle Lis wound the spiral spring J, Fig. 5, one end of which is attached to the stationary axis K, Fig. 5, and the other end to the spindle L itself. Now, the metal wire, rope, or chain K is fastened at one end to the outer part of the lower and larger end of the spindle L, Fig. 5, and is then wound around the spindle L, all inclosed in the case E, Fig. 5. The other end of the metal wire, rope, or chain K passes through the opening E in case E, Fig. 5, and is attached to the slide II, which is struck and carried along by thelocomotive, now to be explained. The principle of the spiral spring J is similar to that of an ordinary tape'line.

A metal rod attached to the locomotive extends just far enough to reach the upright it of the slide H, and as the train advances the slide H is carried along with it, together with the metal wire, chain, or rope K, thereby causing the said K to unwind from the spindle L, which causes the spindle L to revolve, which causes the spiral spring J to tighten. As the spindle L revolves it winds the wire, chain, or rope (1 around it, pulling up the danger-flag F, rod D, box IE, and signals attached in case B, and out of sight, and the spring-bolts ff keep aforesaid signals in position until acted upon by lever G.

As the lower circumference of the spindle is larger than the upper, one revolution of the spindle would unwind three times as much of the metal wire, chain, or rope K as would wind up of the wire, chain, or rope d, or in a ratio proportionate to their respective sizes. Thus we see that a train running at the rate of sixty miles per hour would only wind up of the wire, chain, or rope d and pull up the rod D, box IE, and danger-signals attached at the rate of twenty miles an hour, thereby regulating and overcoming the jar and the strain that would otherwise be given to the rod D, box IE, and all the attachments.

When the slide H is pushed into the guideease I, the slide H strikes against the side of said guide and takes the curved course of the guideway, and thereby becoming disengaged from the rod from the locomotive returns to the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of the spiral spring J winding up the metal wire, chain, or rope K around the spindle L, where it is ready to be operated upon again by-another train.

As a modification of the slide arrangement shown in Fig. 4, I use an upright piece, 1, hinged to side arms, 6 6, about its center. and provided with a spring-bolt, 5, at its lower part to engage the slide. It is also provided at its center with a wedge-rod, 7, so arranged that as the slide is moved in the ways by the advancing locomotive the wedge-rod 7 first comes in contact with an abutment, and as it is pushed through the opening in the hinged upright piece it causes the bolt to be with drawn, and the upright piece, swinging on its hinge, turns over and allows the rod from the locomotive to pass, when the upright piece, by means of suitable springs, returns to its normal upright position, and is reloeked by means of the bolt, the wedge in the meantime having been displaced by the action of a second abutment.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the sliding bar D, carrying the signals, and the spiral springs acting on said bar in an upright position, of the releasing-lever G, connected to the bolts by means of cords, chains, or wire, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the sliding bar D, carrying the signals, and with the spring-bolts for holding said bar in an upper posit-ion, of the slide H, connected to said bar by means of ropes, chains, or wires, the curved ways for guiding said slide, and the return spring and spindle connected to the slide.

3. The combination of the sliding bar D, carrying the signals, the spring-bolts for holding said bar in an upper position, the releasing-lever G, connected to said bolts, the slide H, connected to the sliding bar, the curved ways for guiding said slide, and the returnspring connected to the slide, the whole being adapted to operate substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with the sliding bar D, carrying the several danger signals, of the spiral springs acting on said bar, the cord, wire, or rope acting on the spindle L, and the returnspring connected to the slide, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK E. KIP.

Vitnesses:

FRANCIS O, BOWEN, Jns. L. EWBANK. 

